Zoloft/4yr Old

The following statements are not an opinion, they are simply the facts. Here is what the makers of Zoloft have to say about it's use with regard to children:
"Zoloft is approved to treat depression, social anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) in adults over age 18. It is also approved for OCD in children and adolescents age 6-17 years. "
"In children and teens, Zoloft is only approved for use in those with obsessive-compulsive disorder."
These 2 quotes are straight from www.zoloft.com .
The FDA has not approved Zoloft for use in children under the age of 6 period. That being said, compared to all the other products out there, it is relatively the safest.

Your daughter is very young and zoloft is not a simple medication; it is widely overused in young children when behavioral methods do not seem to work, and parent's are at wits end for worry or sleeplessness. I understand your difficulty watching her SEEM to be anxious through her behaviors but this is NOT the same as a true anxiety disorder. At NIH there is now a huge body of evidence that some children are indeed born "anxious", but this is their nature not a psychological condition requiring medication. In the case that this is inborn personality and not an anxiety DISORDER (and there are huge differences in the two), it is not to be tampered with (i.e. that the child functions well in their important aspects of life albeit that all adults and older peers would DESCRIBE them an "anxious" in manner). Yes, they require little sleep, are often picky eaters, stand back from crowds or noise and can even appear jittery, but these are not sufficient reasons to change their natural state. It does make them more difficult to have in a household with other sibs---we know, we had one, and his early need for only about 4-5 hours of sleep per night regardless of our use of very consistent behavior modification nearly did us all in---and then there was the picky eating, problems with peer and social and school, but he seemed remarkably nonplussed in his early years and we were careful not to enhance his self-focus; even psych testing was described by us as something we all did so we did not create more of a problem by him thinking there was something wrong. Please seek advice from the head of the childhood anxiety program at NIH; he is amazingly astute and of course highly experienced. He also answers his own phone (!) and will return calls to parents with issues and questions. His name is Dr. Daniel Pine, considered the nation's current expert on childhood anxiety and use of pharmacology; his phone is at the end of this precis. http://intramural.nimh.nih.gov/research/pi/pi_pine_d.html I hope his wisdom assists in your daughter's case. You may be surprised at what you learn! Best wishes.

Zoloft can really help her. I had put my then first grader on it, and it really made a difference. My oldest child should have been on something, but I didn't do anything for her until she was 10. She lost a lot of years.

LA, I took zoloft for anxiety for a while and I was on a low dose. It does work if you use the right dosage. You may have to lesson it or give her more for it to work best for her. I have several methods I use instead of taking zoloft. I don't know your religious background, but as a Christian I do a lot of praying and God has been my zoloft. It is amazing how I've been able to get through anxiety attacks and still function. You said you have a cat. I wonder if maybe a pet of her own like a guinea pig or a dog might be able to help with her anxiety? Dogs especially are very in tune to little children and their needs. I grew up with dogs and when I went off to the military, my dog stayed home with my parents. That was 9 years ago and I haven't had one since. My anxiety issues started when I went off to the military to begin my own life as an adult. I really miss having a dog. Cats are wonderful creatures, but they are very independent creatures and for a child with anxiety I would try that if you can before getting the zoloft. I have a daughter with autism and believe me, my anxiety goes sky high if I don't keep it under control, so does my daughters. Anyway, all that to say try a dog or some pet that is just for her.

Hello! No opinions! I've not been in this situation so please know that my heart goes out to you. I pray that you get the guidance you need to make the right decision that will work best for your daughter!

God Bless!!

CHeryl

Dear LA- There is a National group called Federation of Families for Childrens Mental Health. Their office is right here in the area but they have local chapters all around the country. The group is comprised of family members, mostly mothers who have a child or children with mental health challenges. They just had their annual meeting in DC. I wish you had known about it. You will never get the kind of support you can find with this group. They are there to help you and they will work with you to get the best (evidence-based) services and supports for your child. Please give them a call and ask for Elaine (anyone else can help you too). Their base is in Gaithersburg. Best of luck. Write me a personal note and let me know how it went. You will not regret it! Best of luck. D.

Hi - sorry to hear about your struggles and her anxiety....this is tough to deal with and it's hard as a parent because all you want is for your kids to be healthy and happy! My DSS is 12 and has suffered from GAD - generalized anxiety disorder - for as long as I can remember....he most likely got it from his biological mother and the way she treated him also compounded the issue. I had been trying everything to get him to relax and just be a kid...but nothing worked! It got so bad it turned to depression when he got a bit older and he would act out from all his emotions...I was at my wits end. I eventually started taking him to a therapist to talk out some of his problems, and that helped a little...and the situational adjustment disorder went away with his stability in our current situation, but he still had anxiety over small things and was starting to have problems at school as well. My husband and I decided to take him to a psychiatrist to get a more medical diagnosis along with his therapy sessions and she prescribed him Lexapro - I was very leery about giving him medications...but she said that Lexapro is now approved for children and it has a very low chance of side effects and works very quickly. She said we can start with 5 mgs and increase to 10 mgs if needed. I was concerned about side effects, if his personality would be erased or different, and other factors regarding his performance in school, etc. She said the first three days he should eat something with it just make sure starting medication wouldn't make him nauseous, then on day 4 we should start seeing results, but that his school work should actually improve and he will just have a lighter feeling....I have to admit - she was completely right! He has had so much more patience and doesn't seem anxious all the time. He has been concentrating on his school work better, treating his sister better, and all around feeling much better....I am so relieved that it is working and I can relax seeing him relax! And he is still the same DSS....same personality, just better with coping with stress and every day activities and does seem 'lighter.'
I also looked online at the differences between Zoloft and Lexapro and found articles like this one:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/355212/zoloft_ve...
You may want to ask your doctor about the Lexapro (if Zoloft isn't working for her) - it has really worked for us and I think DSS is much happier and I am relieved. Good luck!!

My friends daughter took Zoloft and it helped her immensely. I don't know the dose though. She went from almost having nervous breakdowns to being a "regular" kid. Good luck.